Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday: My Book Soundtrack | Love Song Edition

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. This week’s prompt is Love Freebie! I love to make music playlists when I read books, especially for series, so I decided to attempt a scaled down version of that and just share one song for ten of my favorite books that feature a swoon-worthy romance. (I have to give credit to Prachi @ Starry Eyed Enigma for suggesting I do a post featuring my playlists. I’m hoping this is just the first. <3)

Hello Readers! Valentine’s Day is upon us, and as a hopeless romantic who loves music, I’m ready to share my book soundtrack of love songs (in no particular order)! <3

(Link to synopsis on Goodreads through the book title.)

1

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

I love when a book creates its own playlist. Park introduces Eleanor to a lot of great music. This song is not specifically mentioned in the book, but the band is. And the lyrics are perfect for Park.

“Boys Don’t Cry” by The Cure

I would say I’m sorry
If I thought that it would change your mind
But I know that this time
I have said too much
Been too unkind
I tried to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I tried to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
‘Cause boys don’t cry…

2

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Jamie and Claire’s love story deserves music with atmosphere. This song brings to mind castle towers, the misty hills of Scotland, and shifting time.

“Fuel to Fire” by Agnes Obel

…Into the town we go, into your hideaway
Where the towers grow, gone to be faraway
Sing quietly along
Pious words to cry into the under
Upon your shore as sure as I can say
Be gone be faraway
Oh what a day to choose
Torn by the hours
All that I say to you
Is like fuel to fire…

3

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress is my favorite book in The Lunar Chronicles. I still think of Cress and Thorne’s first meeting whenever I hear this song. Which is by one of my favorite artists, Andrew Belle. <3

“Sky’s Still Blue” by Andrew Belle

You never see clearly, till you stop crying
I never found it, until I stopped trying
I stumbled upon you, and fell through the ceiling tiles

I started a fire to smoke out my treasons
I tore down a building to pick up the pieces
And now on a clear glass wall, I can see our fate
But it’s a little too late

Oh, if you’re hearing this
I must have made it through
Oh, when the clouds above open up through my window
I’ll see the sky’s still blue…

4

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Cycle is one of my favorite series. Stiefvater’s poetic words deserve lyrics that match, and Feist delivers.

“The Undiscovered First” by Feist

I had what I thought were clear 
Open eyes, bright blue
Vision of, of a lake 
Carryin’ pictures to lay on you

Close the blinds, let ’em in
Don’t mind openin’, it’s the edge of love
You can’t un-think a thought 
Either it’s there or not

Shadows of the mountain
Don’t tell them what’s under
The breadth and the height
Of an undiscovered first…

5

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

The Unhoneymooners is a fun book that demands a fun song. I can imagine John Mayer’s “New Light” playing in the background as Olive and Ethan drive around Hawaii. (If you haven’t seen Mayer’s video, what are you even doing with your life?? ;))

“New Light” by John Mayer

…Oh, you don’t think twice ’bout me
And maybe you’re right to doubt me, but

But if you give me just one night
You’re gonna see me in a new light
Yeah, if you give me just one night
To meet you underneath the moonlight

Oh, I want a take two, I want to breakthrough
I wanna know the real thing about you
So I can see you in a new light…

6

Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy is a steamy book which also covers some heavy subjects. “Incredible Love” has just the right push and pull; it’s intense, but also sweet.

“Incredible Love” by Ingrid Michaelson

…Everything says it’s time to go
But the smell of your skin makes me stay
You are not mine to ask things of
But I ask you anyway, but I ask you anyway

Incredible love, you fill me
Incredible love, you spill me
Incredible love, you kill me
Incredible love, incredible love…

7

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Will is one of my very favorite characters. What can I say? I have a soft spot for tortured souls, okay?! This song will always make me think of Will. And how much I just want to give him a hug.

“This is the Thing” by Fink

I don’t know if you notice anything different
It’s getting dark and it’s getting cold and the nights are getting long
And I don’t know if you even notice at all
That I’m long gone babe I’m long gone

And the things that keep us apart
Keep me alive
And the things that keep me alive
Keep me alone

This is the thing
This is the thing
This is the thing…

8

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. And I loved making a playlist for it. This song–especially–always takes me back to Allyson and Willem in Paris.

“Summer is Over” by Jon McLaughlin (featuring Sara Bareilles)

…I remember June
Back when I met you
And your eyes were green
And we were, too

But summer is over
We were tangled in the morning sun
Felt you getting colder
And we knew that we would come undone
And it’s back to my town, back to your life
Gray skies are blowing a kiss goodbye to the lovers
‘Cause summer is over…

9

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Clare is superb at writing star-crossed lovers, and Lana Del Rey has the perfect haunted sound to bring Emma and Julian’s angst to life.

“13 Beaches” by Lana Del Rey

…It hurts to love you
But I still love you
It’s just the way I feel
And I’d be lying
If I kept hiding
The fact that I can’t deal
And that I’ve been dying 
For something real
But I’ve been dying for something real

It took thirteen beaches to find one empty
But finally I’m fine
Past Ventura
And lenses plenty in the white sunshine
But you still can find me…

10

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

And the book that started my obsession with playlists… Stephenie Meyer made it easy by providing her own playlists which I added to. This song will always remind me of how I felt the first time I read Twilight.

“Please Forgive Me” by David Gray

Please forgive me
If I act a little strange
For I know not what I do
Feels like lightning
Running through my veins
Every time I look at you
Every time I look at you

Help me out here
All my words are falling short
And there’s so much I want to say
Want to tell you just how good it feels
When you look at me that way, ah
When you look at me that way…

Do you make playlists for your books? Know any songs I could add to mine? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!

101 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: My Book Soundtrack | Love Song Edition”

  1. I love some of the ships you mentioned here. I don’t really make playlists for books I read, but sometimes I pair songs with books I write. In a way it helps me capture the mood. Interesting topic today!

    1. Oh, I do that, too! One of the first things I do when I’m planning for Nanowrimo is make a playlist. You’re right. It helps set the mood and inspires great ideas! <3

    1. Oh yay! I was hoping to introduce some new music (and books) to people, so I accomplished my goal. <3

  2. Thanks for the shoutout Dedra!! And I absolutely loved reading this post! I have to admit I haven’t heard most of these songs, but I’m going to save these songs for when I read a few of the books you’ve mentioned which are on my TBR too?
    I still have to draft my TTT for this week’s topic ?

    1. You’re so welcome! You did inspire me to combine my two favorite pastimes. πŸ˜‰ And I was hoping to introduce people to a few new songs and books, so I’m happy to hear that.

      You can do it! I’m looking forward to reading it. <3

  3. I absolutely love the take you did for this week’s love freebie! I haven’t read all of these books but I’m gonna listen to the songs for the ones I’ve read. I can definitely see how some of them match too! Great list πŸ˜€

    My TTT

    1. Then my job is done! πŸ˜‰ I love the hunt of searching for the perfect song(s) for my favorite books.

  4. Great post. I adore music so I love it when people combine it with reading. The Cure is one of my favorite bands and hails back to my college days. In fact, my husband and I bonded over Just Like Heaven when we started dating. I really liked Eleanor & Park and you are right, that’s a great song for it.

    1. Aww! My husband and I met in our high school band, so music has been a big part of our lives from the start, too. Working on this post has made me want to reread Eleanor & Park soon! <3

  5. oohh!! What an awesome idea for a list!! I’m completely terrible at matching songs and books but this was really good! When Olive wakes up, I’m going to have to give some of these a listen! πŸ™‚

    1. I did have a lot of fun with this, and I was hoping to introduce some new music and books, so I’m happy you found something. <3

    1. I had a lot of fun with this one. I love music and books, so it was the perfect collaboration for me. And yes, certain songs will always make me think of specific characters–and sometimes even specific scenes in books. <3

  6. I just love your spin on this one! I think it’s always special when you can find a song that fits a book really well. I’ve sadly read exactly none of these books. xD How? Where have I been? I’ve enjoyed discovering these songs, though, all of which were new to me. πŸ˜€ I love finding new music.

  7. You just totally won this weeks topic choices. Not that it was a competition, it’s just that you combined my two favourite things: music and literature. I love making playlists for books, too, so I’m swooning over this. Great picks!

    1. Oh yay!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. I definitely had fun combining my two favorite things, too. You should make a post sometime. I love adding to my playlists. πŸ˜‰

    1. Thank you! Both, actually. I’ll usually put the playlist on shuffle and listen through my headphones while I read or clean or cook, and I’ll also listen to it in the car. Then I’m nice and fully immersed in my book’s world. πŸ˜‰

    1. Thank you! They are great songs! I finally get to see David Gray in concert in August, so I’ll be crossing my fingers that he performs this song. πŸ™‚

  8. Awww, I love indie rock. I think playlists can be whatever you like. Music is universal! πŸ™‚

  9. Fascinating topic! I don’t really associate songs with what I read. I do associate songs and music with my writing, but I’m still not sure I could come up with a playlist of songs for any of my books. I guess my brain isn’t wired that way.

    1. That’s okay! I do also make playlists for my Nanowrimo projects, as well. My brain is made up of song lyrics more than anything else, so I think that’s why I’m always thinking of songs to go with books. πŸ˜‰

  10. What a freakin’ AWESOME post! I love it! I bet I can’t read another book without thinking about what music would go along with it. I’ve never done this but apparently, my husband does occasionally. Thanks for sharing. I think you just changed my world a little. πŸ˜‰

    1. Oh my goodness! Thank you for such sweet words. ?❀️ Have fun creating your own playlists, and please share! ?

  11. This is such a cool prompt for this week’s freebie! I’m so terrible at matching books and songs because I can never remember song titles or artists to find them later. XD But it’s a great idea. I love it! πŸ™‚

  12. Oh I love this idea! So unique and well done (and started off perfectly with Eleanor & Park)! While I often form playlists for my own writing, it’s never been something I could do with reading. I’d love to see more of these playlist and book pairings though!

    1. Thank you! I love to make playlists when I write, too. It helps the creative process so much. I’m looking forward to making more posts with playlists. ?

    1. Oh, thank you!! I had so much fun with this one. And, yes, there’s nothing like reading a favorite scene with the right song playing in the background. πŸ˜‰

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